Misty's Ultimate Test: Marriage
by Jemzyboz
Summary: Misty has always been renowned for her fire, independence and strong character, despite being in a traditional and wealthy family. But when her parents decide that it is high time she marries, it will take all her willpower to not yield to their wishes. However when a poor black-haired boy comes into the picture… Will that famed defiance crumble? Slight AU. Enjoy and review please!


**Hello everyone! I realise I haven't been active for a long time and I apologise for that. Hectic past year as I had to revise for my exams to enter university (I got into my first choice by the way!) Anyway, here is my latest work. I have dedicated this to my beautiful and also first girlfriend :)**

**Reason for the T rating is that some young readers may find some out-dated cultural values slightly upsetting and there will be some bad language here and there.**

**Summary:** Misty has always been renowned for her fire, independence and strong character, despite being in a traditional and wealthy family. But when her parents decide that it is high time she marries, it will take all her willpower to not yield to their wishes. However when a poor black-haired boy comes into the picture… Will that famed defiance crumble? Slight AU, obviously PS. Some younger readers may find some out-dated cultural values upsetting.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokémon or anything related to it or otherwise Serena would be the bridesmaid of Ash's and Misty's wedding.

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><p>Hello there! I'm Misty Waterflower, a proud citizen in the grand city of Cerulean in Kanto. I am currently eighteen years old and single. I also plan to stay single for quite a long time as my mantra goes. I have always fancied myself to be quite the rebel and tomboy, <em>much<em> to my family's displeasure. When I was eleven, I ran away with my friends, my Pokémon. You see, I didn't really have any human friends back then. Everyone looked down at me. The poor despised me because of my heritage and the rich sneered when I happened to skip by – "a Waterflower should behave appropriately at all times as part of an aristocratic clan", they'd say.

My sisters were the so-called 'perfect' daughters. Simpering fools, more like. They went off to become engaged to rich guys, of some fancy title of a Duke, Count or whatever, that they had never met before in their miserable short lives and sloshed money around as if they were Poseidon and the money was the sea. My youngest elder sister, Lily, got married last year. Yuck! There was no hint of romance in the air and her husband stank of overly-expensive deodorant. I was so glad when the ceremony and shaking of hands between the two fathers were over.

Anyway! Where was I? Ah, yes… I ran away because I was fed up with this doomed fate of mine to have no purpose in life except to please and have children. I wanted adventure. I wanted to make a name for myself that was not affiliated with riches and past legacy. A Water Pokémon Master! That seemed like a good goal to pursue. Water was my most favourite thing in the whole wide world and I loved my Pokémon with all my heart. So after a few days, there I was sitting peacefully and trying, in vain, to catch my lunch with my lucky Mini-Misty lure. That was until some numpty decided he wanted to drown himself _and_ his Pikachu. It is _sooooooooooo _cute by the way. So, after an initial bad start, we became travelling partners, along with a hormonal teenage cook, and then eventually we became best friends… But… I never got to tell him that I had –

Ding dong!

I jolted from my daydream back into present day and wildly looked around for the disruptive noise before realising that it was just the gym's doorbell. I face-palmed myself whilst groaning. I was supposed to have cleaned up the mess from my last challenger from earlier and I had drifted off into the past instead! I rubbed my aching eyes, seriously, all that straining through the smoke and mist from the battles _cannot_ be healthy.

The doorbell rang again but more incessantly. Well someone was impatient!

"Daisy! Violet! Lily! Can someone tell that stupid kid to come back later? I'm kind of busy here!" I shouted to my idiotic elder sisters.

"But Misty! I'm, like, getting ready for a beauty pageant and Daisy is, like, at a massage and Lily is on her, like, second honeymoon." Violet's whiny tone echoed back.

"Who has _two_ honeymoons? That _totally_ kills the point of having one." I scoffed back.

"They do." Violet curtly replied, her flawless face appearing between the banisters of the first floor landing.

"You look fine, Violet!" I exclaimed.

"Like, no! No, I don't! I still have to, like, get a manicure!" Violet replied in a sing song voice and twirled around to daintily march back to the vanity mirror.

"Insufferable, infernal, useless sister…" I grumbled to myself as I trudged to the gym's large frosted glass doors as slowly as possible.

The door rang again just to further ruin my mood.

"Okay! Okay, you nitwit! I'm coming!" I growled. After fiddling with the lock for a few seconds, I flung the door open and let loose a tirade,

"What's the big deal? Are you so desperate for your humiliation in a battle that you have to annoy–"

I was cut short when I noticed that there was not a person standing but two people of a too large stature for a child. In fact, as I looked up past the polished leather shoes, elegant high heels and the well ironed clothing of classy looking suits, I stared into the blue eyes of a serious looking aged man and the green eyes of a graceful woman in her mid-forties.

The lady spoke first in a cool, articulated voice with careful and slow pronunciation, "Hello Misty, dear."

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><p>"Hello Mother. Hello Father." I retorted stiffly. I stepped out of their way to let them in. I reached out my right hand to offer to take my mother's luggage but my father slapped my hand away.<p>

"Honey, she just wanted to help," my mother admonished my father. Her manner of speaking sounded submissive, as expected of a wife of a high ranking individual, but reeked of a Kalosian bourgeois upper-class accent.

"I know. I can handle the two bags myself." Father gruffly responded without giving her glance. His accent was Queen's English which automatically indicated his social background to any stranger unfortunate enough to cross paths with him. Well, his temper and ability to openly bribe the police ensured everyone knew who he was.

A shrill shriek ensued from upstairs and the frantic pattering of bare feet was heard as my sister rushed down the staircase to greet our parents.

"Oh my god! It's, like, been so long Mother and Father!" she gushed whilst clapping her perfect hands together with a silly grin painted on her facial features.

"Yes. Yes, it has been. Around three years, I think," my father grunted in reply.

"Two years, ten months and thirteen days." I mumbled under my breath.

"Oh, Misty, dear! We very much wanted to be present for your sixteenth and eighteenth birthdays but –"

"Work comes first. I know, Mother." I sighed.

"I hope you understand, dear." Mother attempted to give a faint smile in my direction.

I mentally rolled my eyes but kept silent. The awkward 'family' moment was suddenly interrupted by my father, Lord Richard Waterflower, clearing his throat.

"Uh, I like the renovations you all have done here since last time. Those Sensational Ballets must have not been a total waste of time after all." Father commented with indifference lacing his tone.

I willed myself to not correct him that the majority of the gym's revenue had been, in fact, generated by _my_ record as one of the toughest Gym Leaders in Kanto. On the other hand, my dumb sister revelled in the rare praise. God, I wanted to slap her stupid little smirk right off that face sometimes.

"Well, I hope our little visit was a pleasant surprise, my two beauties! I know we weren't due for another few weeks but we thought it would be nice to come see all of you earlier! And talking about the others, where are they, my dears?" my mother, Lady Azure Waterflower questioned us.

"Daisy is busy having her body felt up by a random masseur or more and Lily is busy trying out all the positions with her new husband on some random white beach." I spat out acidly.

"Misty!" Violet gasped, horrified at my outburst.

My two parents stiffened visibly at my words, "And Misty, that's the exact sort of attitude why you won't find a husband." Father rumbled before turning onto his heels and marched off angrily to the battle arena. Well he can sod off, I thought to myself. Who is he to think that he can waltz back here after a few years and expect us to be all smiles as if he had just gone to the local shop and won the lottery?

"Misty, sweetie, please? I don't want us to fight so soon already. Go apologise to your father." Mother softly pleaded with me. After a brief battle in my mind, I nodded mutely and sauntered over to where my father stared blankly at the water. We both gazed at the dancing lights on the shimmering water in silence for a few moments before I mumbled a quick 'sorry' and made my way back to my sister and mother.

"Misty?" My father called out suddenly. I turned around to look at him. "Apology accepted." He dipped his head ever so slightly at me, the first time I had received any acknowledgement from him for several years. I didn't say anything back and resumed to returning to my mother and Violet, whom was occupied with texting someone– to Daisy and/or Lily, I suppose.

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><p>A few hours later, Daisy had returned, a slight flush embracing her cheeks. I noticed that I was the only one whom spotted that she had her blouse inside out and that one bra strap wasn't on properly. During the time we had waited for her to come back from her 'massage', I had given my parents the up-to-date news of the gym's current predicament – I was simply too good now as a Gym Leader. Trainers had become discouraged and disillusioned with challenging my gym unless they were either very headstrong or were highly skilled. As a result, the League had contacted me a few weeks ago and offered me the title and job I had always dreamed of receiving: becoming an Elite Four member thus recognised as a Water Pokémon Master! Agatha, the ancient Ghost Pokémon Master, wished for a quiet retirement and the League needed a replacement; my outstanding reputation and renowned desperate desire to be part of the Elite Four made me their most favoured candidate.<p>

I regarded my parents with undisguised excitement and gauged their reaction. My mother simply offered me a sad smile and my father remained stony-faced.

"Well? Aren't you proud? This is a chance in a lifetime! I wanted this ever since I was a little girl, Mother and Father!" I squealed. I refused to let their disappointingly weak response dampen my spirits.

They both looked at each other and then back at me and sighed. My sisters leant in, their eyes wide and lips parted with bated breath in anticipation of what would be said next. Where's that sisterly love and support gone?

My mother gently brushed some of my orange bangs out of my cerulean eyes and gently said, "Misty… That is really super news but… But we came here to talk to you about some-something…" she trailed off looking quite uncertain of herself. Wait. Something was wrong. Both their composure had changed. My father's usual professional calm demeanour now seemed hesitant and unsure and frankly, my mother looked terrified as if I was a Dragonite preparing to go into Outrage mode.

My father proceeded to finish for his wife but instead he spoke in a very abrupt and aggressive manner, "Misty, all you have ever been has been trouble and a disgrace to the family name with your rebellious attitude. You believe that you are all high and mighty. And it's getting _out_ of hand." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Therefore we have decided that it is time for you to marry."

My two sisters screamed with delight and began their congratulations. I, however, on the other hand, blanched at my parents' words and gawked at them uncomprehendingly; the voices of my sisters seemed distant and unfocused as if I was in the middle of a warzone and a mortar had exploded nearby. I couldn't believe what my parents were saying and what it insinuated for my future that I badly wanted to control myself.

So after what felt like an age to me, I managed to splutter out, "Sorry, what?"


End file.
